There are two main causes for persistently itchy skin in dogs: allergies or improper skin/ fur care. Observation is the first step to cure itchy skin in dogs. Before you begin a regimen for addressing itchy skin in your pet, watch and consider carefully to determine if environmental issues affect your dog’s health.
Canine Allergies
Canine Allergies may include but are not limited to:
- dog food
- treats
- grasses and other plants
- household products
- bedding material
- shampoos
Choosing organic dietary options and mixes, eliminating GMO-rich products, such as corn-based meals, may help negate allergic reactions and cure itchy skin in dogs. Treats, too, should be pet-friendly and come from reputable companies with guarantees of replacement should they not agree with your pet’s palate or health.
In the garden and yard, make sure that your pets do not feast on ornamentals. Consider the allergenic qualities of the plants near your home or growing along your walking routes. Just like people, pets may experience allergic reactions to ingredients included in their hygiene and grooming products.
One of the biggest mistakes made by well-meaning dog owners is washing their pets in shampoos created for human use. While your shampoo may leave your hair lustrous and healthy, it cannot be expected to deliver the same results and health to your dog’s fur. Designed to remove oils from human hair and skin, the soaps and shampoos we use on our bodies are too harsh for the base skin of dogs. With essential oils stripped by sulfates included at higher levels in shampoos intended for humans, dogs will be more prone to dry skin, terrible itching, and the hotspot trauma and damage scratching to temporarily remedy discomfort will bring.
Proper Grooming to Cure Itchy Skin in Your Dogs
For your dog’s healthiest skin and fur care, choose a shampoo designed to meet the needs of his breed or notable characteristics. Some dogs have very oily skin while others will be more likely to suffer from dry skin. Whatever the condition, there is a shampoo to meet your dog’s needs.
While some owners will complain that pet shampoos are too expensive, most will realize that proper care of the animals they have chosen to become family members is not only prudent but also a moral imperative. Though humans may wash their hair several times a week, if not every day, dogs should be bathed only once or twice a month as proper hygiene allows. Purchasing shampoo in bulk quantities and using only as much as needed to properly lather the fur will eliminate wasted product, making the cost of proper fur care negligible by most accounts.
When Itchy Skin in Dogs Indicates Medical Cure Necessity
The key to cure itchy skin in dogs is diligent concern for their health, attention to their diets and environment, and proper grooming. If itching persists despite your best efforts, do not hesitate to carry your dog to his trusted veterinarian for diagnosis and medication. Natural approaches are best, in most cases, but compassionate veterinarians are the best source for assistance in curing itchy skin and other ailments in pets. Itchy skin that persists may indicate other health concerns that must be addressed medically.
